


and I thank the stars every night (that they were kind enough to tie me to you)

by Jellybean96



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Grounder Bellamy Blake, Grounder Octavia Blake, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29026374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellybean96/pseuds/Jellybean96
Summary: What feels like an eternity later a figure emerges from the trees. Well, a few figures emerge, but she's only focused on the one that's standing tall at the other end of her Soulmate String.He's maybe a few years older than her and has thick, dark markings swirled across his beautifully tanned skin. He's covered head to toe in some kind of armor, but it's a kind she's never seen before in all the history she'd learned on the Ark. He has a sword hanging from his hip and a bow and arrow slung across his back. He's a Grounder, and so are the people with him who are staying back but not taking their focus off of her.She watches as the Grounder in front of her slowly moves closer, his dark eyes trained solely on her. Her own eyes quickly dart to each of the other people around him. But then she's looking back at him and she can feel her heart beating faster inside her chest....Or, Clarke has always wondered about her Soulmate ever since her String appeared. She just never thought she'd meet him after being sent to the ground to die.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Clarke Griffin & John Murphy, Clarke Griffin & Lincoln, Clarke Griffin & Raven Reyes, Clarke Griffin & Wells Jaha, Octavia Blake/Lincoln (minor/background)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 99





	and I thank the stars every night (that they were kind enough to tie me to you)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new story. I've had this one in the works for a little while now, and I've finally finished it so now I'm posting. I'm so excited to share this one with you guys, I personally really love it.
> 
> Rough translations for the trig phrases will be at the bottom.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

All her life she's heard the stories.

Heard the legend of Soulmate Strings from the older people who lived on the Ark. It's a phenomenon of sorts that happened on earth back before the bombs went off. But not everyone would have a Soulmate String; your bond had to be so strong, stronger than anything already in existence to have a Soulmate String. And even then, people who did have Soulmate Strings wouldn't see them until they were meant to see them. Though, that's one of the key details that's been muddled over the years of the story being told.

Some say you see it when you hit puberty, some say you see it at sixteen, others say eighteen. And some say you don't see your Soulmate String until you're extremely close to meeting your Soulmate. But it's never clear if you see your String at the same time your Soulmate does. That's a question no one's ever been able to answer for her.

She's always loved the story of Soulmate Strings. Sometimes, she'd imagine what her Soulmate might look like if she had one. And sometimes, when she was very young, she'd wake up in the mornings hoping she had a Soulmate and that she would finally see her String. But it never happened.

The other kids her age never enjoyed hearing the story of Soulmate Strings when they were younger as much as she did. They'd all just humor whoever was telling it so they could go do whatever they wanted to quicker. None of them had ever believed they'd see a Soulmate String, because they were always so rare on earth, and even more rare on the Ark with them being the last remaining members of humanity. Maybe their Soulmate should have been born but wouldn't ever be because their ancestors had died on earth during the bombs.

But Clarke still likes to play with the idea.

She's not sure if she firmly believes that she'll have a Soulmate String someday, but it's a nice thought to have. It fuels her imagination, allowing her to draw different depictions over the years of what she thinks her Soulmate String could look like. Or even what her Soulmate might look like. She's not picky. Just as long as they're kind and have a good heart.

Having a Soulmate String is more of a pipe dream than a real dream. But it's a dream nonetheless, and it's one that ends up coming true.

To say she's shocked is putting it mildly. She's freaked. She's only sixteen—she just had her birthday a few weeks before—and she's finally seeing the thing that a part of her has always hoped she'd see, but actually seeing it is nothing like just dreaming about it.

It's small, but thick, and bright red. Not blinding bright, but bright enough to catch her attention. And it extends out from her chest, right where her heart lies beneath her ribcage. It's pulled taut, and it's not straight out in front of her, but angled slightly down and to the side.

At first, she thinks the other end might be attached to someone on a lower level. That maybe they're not on Alpha Station like her parents would probably want them to be. She doesn't think she'll care. That if this person is her Soulmate, then it won't matter to her what they look like or what station they live on.

She discovers quickly that it moves as she does, that it never stays straight out in front of her unless she's facing in one specific direction.

It's kind of fun. Using it as a sort of magnet or tracker to try and find her Soulmate. She wonders if her Soulmate is doing the same thing. If they're using their end of the String to try and find her. Maybe they'll meet up somewhere in the middle and take a moment to recognize the other. Maybe she's already seen them in passing but hasn't ever actually talked to them.

She can't keep the smile off her face as she goes, being careful not to run into anyone or draw too much attention. It's her own little game and she's excited that she gets to play.

When she's in one of the many hallways of the Ark, she feels a deep pressure inside her chest and she has to stop. It's painful enough to have her momentarily struggling to breathe, but not enough to put her completely out of commission. And then out of the corner of her eye, she sees a shockwave move through her String, almost as if someone's plucked it like an actual string. But it can't be touched. They're not corporeal.

At least, that's what all the different stories say. It's one of the few things that's agreed upon.

Hesitantly reaching up, she tries to grab at the String only for her hand to pass cleanly through it. Just like she suspected it would. Which means whoever her Soulmate is couldn't have touched it either. Which also means this is going on the long list of questions she has about Soulmate Strings that no one will ever be able to answer.

The pain thankfully subsides and she's able to continue following the path of her String. She follows it down the many hallways, doing her best to find the general area of where the other end could be coming from. She honestly doesn't think she'll care if her Soulmate is from a station other than Alpha. Her mom probably won't be too thrilled, but it's not her mom's life. No matter what her mom tries to tell her or get her to do, she's going to be with her Soulmate, whoever they are and wherever they're from.

Another quick tug to her Soulmate String causes her heart to start racing faster inside her chest. Does the tugging mean she's getting closer to her Soulmate? She's nowhere near any living quarters, so maybe her Soulmate is busy in this part of the Ark. Her brows furrow tightly as she reaches one of the largest observation windows on the Ark, the tugging on her String increasing just the slightest bit.

She stops in front of the window to try and catch her breath, staring out into the vast darkness surrounding her. The Earth sits so far below, waiting there for them, getting ready for the human race to live on it again. Out of the corner of her eye, it glows just as bright as it was when she first saw it earlier that morning. It extends out through the vast emptiness of space and disappears in the last place she ever thought her Soulmate would be; earth.

No one lives on earth. No one's lived there since the bombs went off. They all died. There's no one left. So this can't be for her. This can't be true. This has to be some kind of cosmic mistake. Or she's just seeing things. Things that aren't there. Because this can't be possible.

She keeps it to herself from that day on but finds herself returning to that window once more, if only to feel the tugging again. She doesn't tell anyone, not even her best friend Wells, about her supposed Soulmate String. She knows it would become a big deal if she were to say something. No one on the Ark has ever had a Soulmate String. But if she were to say that her String indicates that her Soulmate is on the ground, they'd all think she was lying about having a String in the first place. Chances are they'd think she was lying anyway. So thankfully she's the only one who can see it. At least, that's what the story always says. And she's hoping that's the case, that that's one aspect they got right. No one seems to mention a bright red string coming out of her chest, so she assumes she's safe on that front.

She does her best to ignore her String after that, to put it out of her mind. To resign herself to the fact that there's a high chance she'll never meet her Soulmate if they really are on the ground.

She resigns herself to that even more when she discovers from her dad that the Ark is dying; that they don't have as much time left as was originally thought. And according to old records, the Earth won't be survivable yet, so they have very few options available to them.

Naturally, she tells Wells about the Ark, but she never mentions her String. She tells him everything that she found out from her dad, just needing to tell someone else about it. She just needs to get it off her chest. She needs someone to have her back.

What she never expects is for him to run straight to his dad and turn hers in. He completely betrayed her, took away one of her parents without so much as a second thought. If she'd ever considered telling him about her String one day, that ship has now sailed.

She gets thrown in solitary right after her dad is floated. She barely even has time to grieve before she's forced into isolation for wanting to finish what her dad had started.

She never has a single visitor, no doubt to keep her from telling anyone else about what she knows. The guards checking on her definitely don't care what she has to say. They don't talk to her unless they're bringing her meals, but even then it's never more than a few stilted words.

The only thing she has to keep her company are the images she creates on her floor and walls, and the red string that's continuously taunting her. She knows she's going to be floated when she turns eighteen. They'll have a trial as a formality, sure, but given the current situation, she'll no doubt be floated. And if she truly does have a Soulmate who's miraculously still on the ground, she'll never get to meet them. And as her eighteenth birthday grows closer, she does her best to force that reality to set in.

So imagine her surprise when her mom comes to her a month before her eighteenth birthday when the guards are pulling her out of her cell, and tells her that she's being sent to the ground. She forces back the thoughts of her Soulmate that start to creep in. She can't go there right now. Even if they are being sent to the ground, there's no guarantee that they're going to survive down there, or even actually make it there in one piece. She hopes they will.

Just so she can prove to herself that her Soulmate String is just a figment of her imagination.

.

.

.

She doesn't remember much before the moment she wakes up in the Dropship during the rapid descent to the ground. It's rocky and unsettles her stomach, making a part of her wish that she was still on the Ark.

The first thing she's aware of is her Soulmate String slowly starting to become somewhat more level with her body as they get closer to the ground. The thought of her having a Soulmate on the ground starts to become more real and she tries to find something, anything, to distract her from that thought. She can't go there quite yet. Not when they don't know what's awaiting them on the ground.

The second thing she's aware of is the pain against the skin of her wrist. Glancing down she finds the very same bracelet the guards were trying to force onto her back on the Ark. No doubt it's to monitor their vital signs so the adults on the Ark know if they're dead or alive when they get down to Earth. As if they even care.

"Welcome back."

Her heart jumps into her throat at the familiar voice, a voice she hasn't heard in nearly a year. Not since he betrayed her and turned her father in for trying to let the people know what was happening. He starts to talk but she won't let him.

"Wells, why the hell are you here?"

"When I found out they were sending prisoners to the ground, I got myself arrested." He shows her the metal cuff around his wrist to emphasize his point. "I came for you."

A violent shake of the ship cuts off whatever else either of them was going to say. The lights flicker off and then back on. And then a large screen lights up, Wells' dad, Thelonius Jaha, Chancellor of the Ark, appearing on it. Clarke listens to him intently, wanting to take in as much information as she can about where they're supposedly going to land. Even if no one else is going to follow her and take this whole thing seriously, she knows what she has to do first. Make sure that they all have a way to survive on the ground.

Sooner than she can process—and unfortunately with two deaths along the way—they're on the ground. Her heart is beating fast, probably faster than it ever has before. And she feels a tugging inside her chest. A tugging she's never felt before.

At first, she doesn't know what to make of it, momentarily thinks it's because she's on the ground, something she's only ever dreamed about. And then she sees her Soulmate String, sees the way it glows just a little brighter and pulses. She pushes the thoughts away, though, focuses on doing what she can to ensure as many of them survive whatever's out there waiting for them. None of them have any clue what they're doing and she just hopes that they'll figure out something fast.

.

.

.

Being on the ground is surreal.

There's a part of her that just wants to go explore, to see what this world has to offer. The more responsible side of her is winning, though, telling her that she needs to figure out how they're all going to survive.

It's not an easy task, either, considering that right away everyone is pretty much against her trying to help them figure out how to survive. Most of them mock her and Wells relentlessly for being privileged on the Ark, demanding that they be the ones to do all the hard work for a change. The leader of the small rebellion is an older boy, around her age, with mousy brown hair and a permanent smirk on his face. She gets it from some of the others that his name is John Murphy, a true troublemaker if she ever saw one. If she were able to get him on her side, it could be highly beneficial for her. Or it could go the complete opposite direction and he could only follow her lead as a ruse to overthrow her in the end. Not that she actually wants to be in a position of power, but no one else is stepping up to try and figure out just where the hell they landed.

Once she figures out where they need to go—Mount Weather—her next task is finding people who are willing to go with her. They just need a small team to scout things out, to hopefully find some food and water. Find some way to be able to get to the place they were supposed to land in the first place.

"John Murphy."

He turns away from the group of kids he's talking to and faces her. "Yeah? What's it to ya?"

She sighs heavily. "Listen, I know you don't care right now about what I have to say and don't want to do what I suggest even if it will save our lives down here."

He chuckles. "Really? What gave you that idea?" he jokes.

She narrows her eyes and steps closer to him. "Look. I don't like you. And I know the feeling is mutual. But something tells me that you're the type of guy that might thrive from the feeling of being in power and finding a way to save everyone."

He's quiet for a moment, staring her down. He waves off the other kids around them and then focuses solely on her once they're gone. "You had me at power. I'm listening."

So she lays out her entire plan to him, telling him what they need to do and where they need to go. He seems apprehensive at first, no surprise there. Most of these kids are just happy to be on the ground and don't exactly care about the finer details at the moment. She can't say she blames them, she just wishes they'd all care as much as she does about trying to survive in this unfamiliar place.

"I'm not saying I'm completely on board with this plan yet, but if I were to go, who's gonna stay here and make sure no one dies before we get back? Because I know you're going since you came up with this plan. And no doubt Jaha Junior's going with you because he's eyeing us right now like I'm going to murder you. And considering you grew up as Alpha station royalty and haven't spent time with most of these kids personally, you probably don't know who to trust."

"What about you, then?" she asks him, hoping that by asking his opinion on something it'll help her get him on her side. "Is there anyone you think might be good enough to stay behind and watch after everyone?"

Murphy's quiet, his eyes darting around the large area where all the rest of the delinquents are running around and getting used to the new ground beneath their feet. He nods his head in one direction. "Nathan Miller. People seem to listen to him or whatever. He's about our age. Might be good for that."

Clarke nods along, her eyes following to where he's looking, watching the other boy for a moment. She has vague memories of Nathan, considering his dad is head of the guard on the Ark, but Nathan never really seemed to want that kind of life. "I think you're right," she says to Murphy. "Do you want to go talk to him about it, or do you want me to do it?"

He raises an eyebrow at her. "You want me to go make small talk?"

She shrugs. "I just thought you might like to tell someone else what to do for a change."

He chuckles and bows slightly. "Well played, Your Highness, well played." He saunters off toward Nathan, shooing away the kids around the other boy.

She pointedly ignores the nickname as she watches Murphy, knowing that he most likely did it to get a rise out of her. If she calls him out on it, she'll be giving him exactly what he wants.

Letting out a heavy breath, she works to refocus her attention on something else. One task down that she thought for a moment would be impossible. So many more seemingly impossible tasks to go. All the while, her Soulmate String continues to glow and pulse, trying to pull her in a different direction of where she wants to go. She can't do that right now, she needs to keep the other kids safe. That's the priority.

.

.

.

Unfortunately, things don't go as she had hoped they would. She knew it wouldn't be easy; she had no doubt about that. She just didn't think that the kid who got locked up for an unauthorized space walk, Finn, would be speared through the chest after swinging on a rope across the water. She'd barely given him the time of day when he'd tried to talk to her on the Dropship, and then he somehow managed to worm his way into the trip. He kept trying to hold a conversation with her but she was only focused on getting to where they needed to go.

They had a bit of a moment the night before, watching the bioluminescent trees and plants around them. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen or could have imagined. But a continuous aching tug in her chest kept her from indulging too much in what could be an otherwise sweet moment.

And now they're headed back to the site of the dropship, to regroup and restrategize the best way to get Finn back, even if he's no longer alive. No one else is going to die on her watch if she can help it. She will not lose anyone else. The adults sent them down with very little hope that they'd survive and she's not going to prove them right. They've already "lost" a few kids who took their bracelets off before she was able to get to Murphy. But she's not going to actually lose anyone if she can do something to prevent it.

So they make their plan and then check in with Miller to see how he and the rest of the delinquents are doing. Murphy's quite vocal about not wanting to go back out into such a dangerous area. She does her best to convince him to go, and naturally, other delinquents start asking questions about where Finn is and what happened, and if they made it to Mount Weather.

So they have no choice but to tell them the truth, that they aren't alone on the ground. That there are people—Grounders, as they end up calling them—who survived through the nuclear apocalypse and that the only reason they found out about it is because Finn got speared through the chest.

An uproar rises through the crowd, of course, and Clarke tries her best to get them to settle down so she can keep talking. In the end, it's Murphy who's the one that gets them all to stop. Miller helps but Murphy does most of the shouting to get the others to stop talking.

"Thank you all for shutting up," Murphy remarks. He turns toward her and bows slightly with an amused smile. "The ground is yours, Your Highness."

She rolls her eyes at him, thinking she might actually be starting to get used to Murphy's level of sarcasm and sass despite how little time she's spent with him. She looks around her, putting on what she hopes to be an air of confidence as she addresses the rest of the delinquents. "I know you're all excited about being on the ground, and probably scared now knowing that we aren't alone and that one of our own got injured. But we can't let that stop us from doing what we can to survive down here. The adults on the Ark sent us down here to die. We can prove them wrong. But we need to stick together, we need to start figuring out a way to live down here."

"No one gets a pass," Murphy shouts, moving to stand right next to her. He fixes her with a look. "Everyone's gonna help."

Clarke nods, ignoring the blatant call out from Murphy toward her. "We all need to chip in and do our part. We won't survive unless we look out for each other. We can get through this if we stick together."

"We don't have to be scared," Murphy pipes in. "It's the Grounders who should be scared of us!"

As soon as the plans are made and kids around the camp start chipping in to fortify their space, Clarke heads back out to find Finn. She takes Murphy with her, naturally, as well as Wells and another boy named Atom. Miller seems to be doing well being in charge of keeping the rest of the kids on task, while also doing his part to help move things along. She'll have to find the time later to thank Murphy for that suggestion. But for now, she needs to focus on finding Finn.

They've traveled quite a ways by the time they finally find him; followed an unfortunate trail of blood to get there. He's in the middle of a large field, shirtless and strung up to a large, oddly grown tree.

Clarke swallows down the bile rising in her throat, thinking about the horrible Grounder who strung him up there and left him for dead. It's sick. Beyond sick, even. Even if he's already dead at this point, she can't leave him there, can't let him be left on display for whoever might still be around.

Quickly moving forward, she's jolted when the ground falls out from under her feet. Looking down, her eyes go wide when she sees the dozens of wooden spikes sticking out of the ground below her, her feet dangling above them.

Her eyes moving up, she's surprised to find Murphy holding tightly onto her wrist, keeping her from falling to her death. She can see his eyes darting down to the spikes and then back at her. But she stays quiet, even though her life is quite literally hanging in his hands.

Moments later, but what feels like an eternity, she's being hauled up out of the pit, Atom having grabbed her other hand to help Murphy pull her out.

"Thanks for not letting me fall," she says to Murphy, brushing off her pants as she stands.

He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Let's call it a momentary lapse in judgment and leave it at that." He strolls past her and around the pit to where Finn is, standing at the base and looking up.

Clarke follows after him with Wells and Atom, looking around to see if there are any other dangers or threats among the trees. For a moment she thinks she spots movement in the woods, but she just shakes it off as paranoia starting to get to her.

Murphy and Atom are up in the tree before she can say anything, already figuring out the best way to cut Finn down. She and Wells stay down near the bottom, and she's constantly checking the edge of the woods to make sure there's nothing else out there. Or if there is, she wants to be able to see it with enough time that she can warn the others and they can get out of there.

Thankfully, when she does hear a low growling coming from somewhere within the forest, Murphy and Atom have already gotten Finn out of the tree and are carefully setting him on the ground. Clarke's over in an instant, dropping to her knees to check him over. He doesn't seem to be doing too terrible, and he's breathing, even if it is a bit shallow. The puncture wound from where he got impaled is covered with some kind of poultice that only has her more confused about what's happened. But she pushes that thought to the back of her mind for now.

The most important thing is getting Finn back to camp so he'll be safe and she can get a better look at his injury. She may not have finished her medical training on the Ark, but she likes to think she knows enough to help nurse him back to health.

"Guys, come on, we need to get him back to camp. Before something else happens."

They take a moment to get situated and then Murphy and Atom are carrying Finn back while Clarke leads them through the woods and Wells takes up the rear. They move slower this time because they have an injured man, but eventually, they make it back.

It's dark by the time they do; a fire's going and kids are milling about while others sit near the fire in hopes of staying warm. They've yet to figure out how the weather works on the ground, but one thing they know for sure is that it gets much chillier in the evenings. No surprise they're all trying to stay warm.

"Get him into the dropship," she instructs Murphy and Atom. "Make sure he's as comfortable as you can get him." She turns to Wells and steps a little closer. "Check in with Miller, see how everything went today. Don't let anyone come inside the dropship until I say so. I need quiet and space to make sure Finn is okay."

Wells nods. "Got it. Do you need anything else?"

"I don't think so. But I'll let you know."

She spends the majority of the night dealing with Finn's injuries as well as other issues that start to arise. She deals with them the best she can and prays that she isn't going to screw everything up even more than it's already been.

.

.

.

Over the next week or so things only get crazier. They deal with things they were definitely not prepared for before they came down, and they lose a couple more people. It breaks her a little, knowing that things are going to happen despite how much she tries to keep everyone safe. But she pushes those feelings down, she can't afford to lose herself right now, not when everyone needs her to keep her head on straight. She knows she can't control everyone, can't force them to do everything she wants them to do. But if they listen to her and stay inside the camp, or go in groups when they're leaving and tell someone, then hopefully they'll all make it through this alive. So she just does her best.

Her hope is heightened ever so slightly when she sees what she at first believes to be a shooting star in the night sky. She almost makes a wish on it but has no idea what she'd even wish for. She quickly realizes that it's not a shooting star, but a dropship from the Ark. Someone else is coming down; maybe they have supplies on the dropship, or a radio they can use to contact the Ark, to let them know what's going on.

Once the dropship is down, she grabs Murphy and Wells, and then they're making their way through the forest in the direction she saw it land. She just hopes that no one else finds the passenger first, that they aren't attacked by a person or mauled by a wild animal. If it's an adult, she just hopes they'll listen and not try to immediately take over.

It's much more difficult to navigate the forest at night than it is during the day—no surprise there—but the three of them manage to make it where they need to go. The dropship is unsurprisingly damaged, but the passenger lies inside mostly unconscious.

They get the dropship door open and pull the passenger out and settle them on the ground. It's a young brunette girl, probably just a few years older than them. But why this girl came down alone in a dropship, Clarke is very eager to know.

She instructs Wells to climb inside the pod and find the radio—hopefully still intact—while she checks the girl over and makes sure she doesn't have any serious injuries. Thankfully she seems to be just a little banged up from entry into the earth's atmosphere.

"I've got it," Wells shouts.

Clarke rushes over, leaving Murphy to watch over the girl, and leans inside the pod as Wells tries to get the communication link up and running. It isn't easy, with mostly static coming through at first, as Wells repeats his name again and again while asking if anyone can hear him.

She's about to give up that anyone will respond when a familiar voice starts to break through the static.

" _Wells? Is that really you?"_

"Abby!" Wells exclaims with a smile, quickly glancing over at Clarke. "Yeah, it's me. Clarke's here too."

" _Oh, that's fantastic. Can I talk to her?"_

She immediately shakes her head, her eyes narrowing. She can't bring herself to talk to her mom just yet, not now that she knows the truth about what happened to her dad.

Wells hesitates. "Uh, she's actually busy right now. She's making sure the girl who was piloting this thing is okay. I think she got knocked unconscious in the landing."

" _Her name is Raven. Raven Reyes. Wells, can you tell Clarke that I love her and that I'm so glad she's safe?"_

Wells gives her a look. "Yeah, I'll tell her."

Clarke pointedly turns away from her friend and makes her way back over to where the girl—Raven—is and drops to her knees. Even though she's already determined that Raven doesn't have any visible injuries, she needs something to distract herself from whatever else Wells and her mom are talking about.

Soon enough they're heading back to camp, struggling just a bit to carry a still unconscious Raven with them. All three of them know that it's risky to stay out in the open at night when it's harder to see any attacks that might be coming, so they're determined to get back to camp so they can rest a little easier.

Later that night, once Raven is awake, the brunette immediately starts asking questions about Finn, eagerly asking where he is and if he made it down alive. So Clarke tells her what happened, figuring that this girl grew up with Finn on the Ark and is a concerned friend. But when she finds out that Finn is this girls' boyfriend, she's beyond glad that she didn't give in to Finn's attempts at flirting with her. She really dodged a bullet there.

.

.

.

The next afternoon, after checking on Finn's injury and going about her daily activities, Clarke heads out of the camp to get a moment alone. Yes, she's being a bit hypocritical by going out alone when she's been so insistent that they all go in pairs or groups if they're leaving camp. But she needs a moment to herself. And she told Wells that she's heading out, so at least someone knows where she is.

She doesn't make it far when she feels it. That familiar tugging that she's had to ignore to focus on keeping everyone safe, no matter how painful it became.

Her chest is absolutely aching, more than it has since they landed on earth. And it's being pulled on like there's an actual string pulling at her chest and not just a phantom tugging like all the times before. It's extremely real and extremely painful. But in a good way? She's not entirely sure.

She can see her string glowing and pulsing with much more vigor than any of the previous times. She turns in the direction it leads, following it with her eyes deep into the trees.

She swallows thickly. "Hello?" she calls out. "I—I know someone's out there."

What feels like an eternity later a figure emerges from the trees. Well, a few figures emerge, but she's only focused on the one that's standing tall at the other end of her Soulmate String.

He's maybe a few years older than her and has thick, dark markings swirled across his beautifully tanned skin. He's covered head to toe in some kind of armor, but it's a kind she's never seen before in all the history she'd learned on the Ark. He has a sword hanging from his hip and a bow and arrow slung across his back. He's a Grounder, and so are the people with him who are staying back but not taking their focus off of her.

She watches as the Grounder in front of her slowly moves closer, his dark eyes trained solely on her. Her own eyes quickly dart to each of the other people around him. But then she's looking back at him and she can feel her heart beating faster inside her chest.

"I...I never thought I'd meet you," she finally speaks up, trying to keep her voice steady. The pain increases into an aching one would associate with longing. "I wasn't sure you even existed. No one was supposed to be down here, so I thought it was the universe playing a trick on me. I'm...I'm Clarke, by the way, Clarke Griffin."

Her apparent Soulmate moves closer, never uttering a single word. The leaves and twigs crunch under his feet, seeming louder than they really are in the silence that surrounds them. He stops when he's directly in front of her, though there's still the tiniest bit of space between them.

The pain in her chest is nearly unbearable now, having him so close to her. But she doesn't move. She doesn't know a thing about this man, doesn't know if he'll perceive her reaching for him as a threat of some kind.

He moves first, though, slowly reaching out and cupping her cheek in his hand, the rough pad of his thumb gently caressing the skin along her jawline.

She lets out a quiet gasp, a spark igniting inside of her as the pain reaches the highest it's ever been and then subsides just as quickly. It's only a dull tugging now, no longer painful, but pleasant.

"Clarke," the man in front of her says softly, testing her name. The way he's looking at her, and the way he just said her name, it's enough to almost make her go weak in the knees.

But she manages to stay on her feet. She swallows thickly. "Yeah. What's...what's your name?"

"Bellamy."

"That's a nice name. It suits you. So...we're Soulmates, then?"

He nods, his hand dropping from her cheek to instead slide down her arm and grab hold of her hand. "It would appear so."

She smiles. "So you can speak English then."

He nods again. "Yes." He gives her hand a small squeeze. "All my life, I never could have imagined how beautiful my Soulmate would turn out to be."

Heat rushes to her cheeks but she doesn't try to hide it. Why should she? "I could say the same about you. But handsome, instead."

He smiles. "Thank you. That is very kind."

" _Belomi_."

A beautiful brunette joins them then, her incredibly striking features sharing many similarities with Bellamy. Parts of her hair are braided back behind her head while others hang down in front, dark markings similar to Bellamy's inked across her skin. She has a sword nearly identical to Bellamy's, though hers is held tightly in one hand instead of hanging from her waist.

Bellamy turns toward the girl. " _Okteivia_."

The girl eyes her and then focuses on Bellamy. She says something in a language Clarke is unfamiliar with. Bellamy nods, says something in return in the same language, and then the girl walks away.

"What was that about?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing for you to be concerned with just yet. That was my sister Octavia. She and her partner have been observing you and your people since you landed."

Clarke's eyes go wide. "Are they the ones who threw the spear that impaled one of my people?"

Bellamy shakes his head. "No. That was a member of another village. They were sending you a warning to stay away from Mount Weather."

Her brows furrow. "What? Why?"

His jaw hardens. "Not now."

She nods slowly. "Okay. So...your sister has been observing me and my friends. What has she learned?"

"That you are fierce, determined, protective, good at adapting. But most of you are children. No adults."

Clarke scoffs lightly. "Yeah, they sent us down here basically to die. The Ark, the place we used to live up in space, it's dying. It's running out of oxygen sooner than expected. They have maybe a few months left at best. So they sent one hundred juvenile delinquents—expendables—down here earlier than planned to see if the earth was still habitable. Didn't even give us a choice."

"That is unacceptable."

Clarke shrugs. "That's life on the Ark."

"You are on earth now."

She deadpans. "Yeah. And it's been a real party since we got here. We're just trying our best to survive. To prove to the people who sent us here to die that we're capable of more than just being their guinea pigs."

His brows furrow tightly. "I do not…"

She shakes her head. "Never mind." She shifts a little on her feet, absentmindedly linking their fingers together. "So...now that we've found each other, what happens next?"

"Very good question. We do not have to see each other again if that is what you wish to—"

"No!" she says quickly. More heat rises to her cheeks and she smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. I just...I've finally found my Soulmate. It's something I never thought would happen. And I can't quite explain it, but just thinking about never seeing you again…"

Bellamy nods. "It feels as if your heart might rip right out of your chest and never return."

She lets out a breath. "Exactly."

"Okay. Then we keep seeing each other. But you and your people cannot remain here. When you fell, you fell on Trikru land. There are some who would do anything to force you out or wish to declare war on you."

Her stomach sinks. "We didn't...we didn't know. We were supposed to land on Mount Weather. We didn't even know anyone else was here."

"I know. But that will not matter to most. You and your people can come with me to my village and take shelter there. Until a solution can be found."

"You'd do that for us?"

"For you. You care about them. They mean a lot to you."

She shrugs. "They're just innocent kids who want to live their lives."

Bellamy nods. "Then it is decided. Pack whatever you need, whatever you can carry, and then come and stay in our village. Will your people be okay with that?"

She takes a deep, shaky breath. "There's only one way to find out, right?"

So she takes him with her back to the campsite, introduces him to the rest of the group, and explains to them about her Soulmate String. Naturally, questions start popping up from all over the camp, everyone throwing in their two cents about the situation. Finn seems to be the most vocal, even though he's still dealing with his injury and has Raven right at his side. She pointedly ignores his line of questioning.

"You seem to have been doing well for yourselves down here," Bellamy's voice in her ear sends a shiver through her spine, but in the best way.

She smiles up at him. "We've done the best we can with what we had. And there was a class we took on the Ark called Earth Skills. Granted, our teacher has never been on the ground, but it still taught us some valuable stuff that we've done our best to utilize since being down here."

He nods. "We can teach you much more once you all move to the village."

"I know. I'm very grateful for that. And in return, we'll share whatever knowledge we can with you and your people." She lets out a breath. "Now I just have to break the news to everyone. They've gotten pretty comfortable here."

He smiles softly. "Be firm in what you are saying, do not waver or make like you are not confident in what it is you are saying. Confidence is key."

"Confidence is key," she repeats quietly with a small nod. She takes a deep breath, squeezes his hand once, and then turns back to address the group still gathered around. "Guys!" she shouts above the noise, trying to get their attention. It doesn't work, they all keep talking over one another.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Murphy stepping up next to them with a determined look set on his face. "Hey!" he yells, much louder than she ever could. "Shut up and listen to Her Royal Highness's decree."

"Murphy," she scolds him for using that ridiculous nickname but he just chuckles.

He steps away with a bow and gestures to the crowd. "They're all yours."

She sends one more pointed glare his way and then focuses back on the group. "We aren't safe if we stay here anymore." She holds a hand up when everyone starts to talk again. She just needs to get through this. "Bellamy has offered all of us a place in his village, no one will come after us there. And if they do, he and his people will protect us. I plan on going there myself, to live and get to know Bellamy better as my Soulmate. I can't force any of you to come with me, but I hope that you do. We can't abandon each other now. If you plan on coming with us, we'll be leaving first thing in the morning. Bellamy will have some of his people positioned along the border of our camp, in case someone comes along to try something." She takes a deep breath. "Now, any questions?"

Things are quiet for a brief moment and then questions start popping up again. She answers them the best she can, though Bellamy chimes in a few times to answer questions about his village and his people.

Once all questions have been exhausted, they start going about their business for the remainder of the day. Everyone starts tidying things up around the camp, taking stock of what they have, and figuring out what they can leave behind, to make it easier to leave in the morning. Bellamy goes off to check in with his people and Clarke does her best not to be distracted by his backside as he walks away.

When he comes back, she has to force herself not to look too eager to talk to him. She really needs to get a grip on herself. They just met. She still doesn't know anything about him.

"So," she says as she slowly approaches him, "everything good with your people?"

He nods. "They are prepared to stand guard throughout the night to keep you safe. I have sent one back to my village to get preparations started for you and your people to join us."

"Okay. Do you want to, uh, maybe sit by the fire for a bit? We could talk a little."

He gives her a smile that makes her heart flutter. "That would be nice. It might be good to get to know one another now that we know we are Soulmates."

She smiles back at him and settles herself at one of the spots around the campfire. He sits down next to her, carefully removing his weapons and setting them aside but still close by.

"I have a question for you," he says after a quiet moment. "The thin one who called for the attention of your people, he referred to you as 'Her Royal Highness'. What did he mean by it? Are you of royal lineage?"

Clarke sighs heavily. "Not that I'm aware of. It's...it's kinda lame, honestly. On the Ark, both my parents were pretty well-respected people. We lived on Alpha Station where the people who were in positions of power lived. Other kids would tease me by referring to me as royalty because I didn't struggle like kids from other stations did, like most of the kids down here did. After we landed, Murphy called me 'your highness', mostly to make fun of me. I guess it kind of stuck."

"I see. But you do not like it?"

Clarke shrugs. "I don't know. I think I've gotten used to it, or at least I'm numb to it. It's not a big deal. I don't think he's being mean about it anymore." Her brows furrow slightly. "At least, I really hope that's the case."

They spend the rest of the evening talking and learning a little more about each other until Clarke ultimately decides it's time for her to turn in. She hesitates for a split second but then leans down to kiss Bellamy's cheek before turning away and heading to her sleeping spot. Her lips tingle for a while after that, the memory of Bellamy's skin against her lips lingering as she falls asleep.

.

.

.

Once everyone is awake the following morning, they start breaking down the camp, packing up only what they're going to need that they didn't already pack the night before; the bare essentials. Considering they didn't have much to start with when they came down, they don't have a lot to pack up. It doesn't take them long either and they're able to get going fairly quickly.

Bellamy has enough people with him to position them at the front, middle, and back of the group as they walk. She and Bellamy walk slightly ahead of the group, though she does check over her shoulder every now and then to make sure everyone is still there.

"Bellamy? Can I ask you something that I didn't ask last night?" Clarke speaks up as they walk, the sun rising higher in the sky. "How come it took you and your people so long to intervene? You had someone watching us, you know what we suffered through. You could have stepped in a little sooner."

"You were strangers," he tells her simply. "You fell from the sky and began marching around as if you had always been here. We wanted to see if you would be a threat."

"And you concluded that we wouldn't be, which is why you came to me yesterday."

He looks down at her. "Under the right conditions, anyone could be a threat. You were all scared, but some refused to show it. So you would get angry instead. We can help with the anger, give them a way to release that without harming anyone."

"You'd do that?"

He nods. "Of course. If all goes well, your people can assimilate with ours."

Her brows furrow together. "If all goes well? I thought we're moving to your village."

"Yes. But it is not permanent, not yet. We still have to convince Heda to allow you to stay in our village."

"Heda?"

"The Commander. She is the one who leads over the twelve clans, over the Coalition."

She blinks. "Wow. So we need her approval to stay in your village?"

He nods. "Yes. In the morning we will go to her. It is a few days journey by horse."

Clarke adjusts her hold on the straps of the bag she's carrying on her back, biting her bottom lip between her teeth. "Um, I've never...I've never ridden a horse before. I grew up in space so we didn't exactly have that kind of stuff there."

"Well, I will teach you myself. Then I know you will learn the correct way."

She smiles up at him. "Oh, are you some kind of expert, then?"

He smiles back, shrugging one shoulder. "Something like that."

Clarke stands a little closer to him the rest of the way to his village, very much liking the feeling she gets whenever she's close to him. It's something she knows that she's never felt before, even before she was aware that she had a Soulmate. It's an incredible feeling and she can't imagine ever going without it again.

Thankfully it's not too far to his village from the dropship camp, but it's still quite a hike for most of the other kids, especially carrying all their belongings and other supplies. She's vaguely aware of the griping and complaining coming from deep within the group, but it doesn't last for very long. She's sure that Bellamy's people have something to do with it, though she's not sure she wants to know how they managed it.

When they finally reach Bellamy's village, he instructs them all to wait outside with Octavia and her partner Lincoln while the rest of them go inside to talk to the villagers. So Clarke gathers everyone together, has them huddle close to one another so they're not so spread out and she can see them all easier. Lincoln, a large, dark-skinned man with markings similar to Bellamy and Octavia spread across his skin, paces around the group, one hand resting on the sword attached to his hip. He looks intimidating, to say the least.

Octavia wanders closer to her, stopping and shifting on her feet. She tilts her chin up just a little. "You are Bellamy's Soulmate," she says, her voice coming out a little more gravelly than Clarke was expecting.

Clarke nods. "Yeah. Neither of us is lying."

Octavia nods sharply. "I know. People here do not lie about Soulmate Strings. Ever."

"Um, okay." She shifts a little on her feet. "I, uh, I like your braids."

Octavia's quiet, and then her eyes narrow. "If you hurt my brother, in any way, it will not be good for you. You will wish you had stayed among the stars."

Clarke opens her mouth to respond when Bellamy approaches the group, a small smile on his face and another man at his side.

Bellamy locks eyes with her, his smile brightening just a little, and then he addresses the group. "This is Wren," he says, gesturing to the man beside him. "He will show you around the village and let you know where you can put your things. He will also answer any other questions you might have about our way of life." He looks at Wren and dips his head the slightest bit.

Wren nods in response. " _Sha_." He then looks at the group and steps to the side, gesturing to the village behind him. "Please."

Everyone hesitates, shifting on their feet and talking quietly but not moving forward. Miller and Murphy both look at her and she simply nods her head. Evidently, that's all they need, both boys immediately stepping forward to enter the village. Everyone else quickly follows behind them, looking around and continuing to talk quietly with one another as they go.

Once all the delinquents are inside the village, Lincoln and Octavia step inside, visibly relaxing and grabbing each other's hands, smiles immediately adorning their faces as they speak quietly to one another and then laugh. Talk about a complete one-eighty.

"I don't think your sister likes me," she says to Bellamy once she's sure no one will be able to hear them.

He turns to her with furrowed brows. "What makes you think that?"

"She threatened me. Told me not to hurt you."

Bellamy raises a brow. "She threatened you?"

Clarke nods. "Yeah. Basically implied that she'd hurt me if I ever hurt you."

Bellamy chuckles, grabbing her hand to gently pull her into the village. "If she threatened you then it means she likes you."

Blinking, Clarke follows Bellamy into the village and is immediately greeted by various people, all of them watching her carefully. Some of them are speaking that same strange language that she heard Bellamy and Octavia using yesterday. She makes a mental note to ask about it later.

For now...for now, she's going to relax and feel relief that they no longer have to fight for their survival. At least for the time being.

.

.

.

They leave fairly early the next morning to go to Polis, where the Commander resides. Octavia goes with them as an extra pair of eyes as they ride and Bellamy encourages her to bring one of her people along as well. It doesn't take long for her to decide to bring Murphy along. He's proven himself quite a lot in the short time since they landed and she thinks it could be helpful to have him around again.

It takes them a moment to get used to the horses, both being around them and actually sitting on their backs. Murphy seems a bit more hesitant but she can see that he's trying not to show it.

Bellamy's right there with her the whole time, allowing her to take her time and helping her every step of the way. Octavia's helping Murphy but she's a lot less patient with him. It's amusing, if she's being honest, with the way he grumbles out loud and Octavia just rolls her eyes and demands that he get on the horse.

Once they're both safely on their respective horses, Bellamy and Octavia easily climb onto theirs with no effort. Clarke's only a little jealous of how easily they do it, but she figures if she sticks around long enough, she'll learn how to do it with more ease too.

Just as Bellamy told her, the ride to Polis takes them a few days, meaning they have to stop and make camp during the night. Each time they do, she and Murphy are next to each other with Bellamy on her other side and Octavia on the other side of Murphy. She feels much safer sleeping in the open woods with Bellamy right next to her, she knows he'll protect her.

When they finally reach Polis, she's amazed at how much it still resembles an old earth city, while still looking very much like a post-bombing world. Which is exactly what they're living in.

"We can leave our horses here," Bellamy says to her, gesturing to an area off to the side and then easily sliding down off his horse.

Clarke hesitates, glancing down at the ground and gripping her horse's mane a little tighter. "Um…"

Bellamy steps closer to her and smiles softly, reaching a hand up. "It is okay. I am here."

Clarke nods, grabbing onto his hand and completely letting go of the horse's mane. She takes a deep breath and then slides down the side of the horse, trusting in Bellamy to help her. It seems like a lot farther of a drop than it probably actually is.

A quiet thud pulls her attention and she peers around the horse to see Murphy lying flat on his back while Octavia stands near him chuckling to herself. Murphy grumbles quietly, throwing a hard glare at Octavia as he stands and brushes himself off.

"We should get inside," Bellamy tells the small group. "The sooner we speak to the Commander, the sooner we can make your stay in our village permanent."

"If she lets us, right?"

He squeezes her hand. "I have faith in the Commander. Do you have faith in me?"

Clarke watches him carefully, her eyes running over the lines of his face and the look in his eyes. She nods slowly, giving him a small smile. "Yeah, I do."

"Good." He smiles back at her and then turns to make his way toward the tower doors in front of them.

Entering the tall tower, Clarke sticks close to Bellamy's side, their hands clasped tightly together between them. He gives her a reassuring squeeze as they move through the corridors and up to the topmost floor where the Commander evidently resides. Or at least, where she takes meetings with her people.

"Why do I get the feeling these Grounders would jump us if given the chance?" Murphy asks her quietly.

Clarke glances around to see the people lining the hallway watching them with a scrutinizing gaze. She swallows thickly. "Probably because they would."

When they finally reach what Clarke assumes to be the room where the Commander is, they're instructed to wait outside the closed doors. At least, that's what she figures, since the person who looks like a guard says something to Bellamy in that language she's now learned is called Trigedasleng and then disappears inside the room while they remain in the hallway.

Clarke stays silent, remaining close to Bellamy's side as her eyes dart around the space, taking it all in. There's a very clear choice when it comes to the decor throughout the entire building; she's just not sure what that choice was supposed to be.

The scraping of the heavy doors pulls her attention back and she watches as the same man from before emerges. He looks at Bellamy and nods once, stepping aside and leaving the door wide open.

Clarke follows Bellamy inside, Octavia and Murphy trailing behind them and keeping some distance. She shoots Murphy a quick look and he just shrugs, sticking by Octavia's side.

When she and Bellamy stop, Clarke turns her attention forward and sucks in a sharp breath at what she sees. It's an intimidating sight, to say the least; the dark-haired woman dressed in heavy leather sitting atop a massive throne that's raised slightly so she's looking down on everyone who comes to see her.

The woman looks directly at her and it sets Clarke on edge; this woman doesn't look too pleased to see her. Bellamy's light squeezing of her hand brings her back and she relaxes again.

" _Belomi,"_ the woman says, her eyes dragging over to land on the man in question.

He bows his head respectfully. " _Heda."_

Clarke watches the rest of the conversation intently, trying to figure out just from their facial expressions what they might be saying. But it's no use, she has no idea what they're talking about. The language sounds nothing like the audio clips she heard on the Ark. It's unfamiliar.

But it's also very intriguing, the way they go back and forth. It's not a very long conversation, though. Bellamy says something that clearly affects the Commander. The woman says a few more words and then Bellamy is gently pulling Clarke away from the throne and toward the door. Octavia and Murphy quickly follow behind them again.

"What was that?" Clarke asks once they're back out in the hallway. "What just happened?"

Bellamy stops and turns toward her, a small smile pulling at his lips. "She is going to let you and your people stay in our village. Allow you to stay here and learn our way of living."

Clarke beams. "What? That's great. The conversation wasn't very long, though, I thought it was going to take more convincing."

"It would have. But I told her that we are Soulmates. It was enough to convince her to let your people stay with me and mine."

Her brows furrow tightly together. "Really? That's all it took?"

Bellamy nods. "Soulmates are very rare. Not everyone has one. But when you do, you do not let them go. Soulmates are considered sacred, like nightblood."

"What's nightblood?"

"It is the blood that runs through the veins of the Commanders. Those with nightblood may become the Commander one day."

"Do you have nightblood?"

He shakes his head. "No, I do not. I would not wish to be Commander. I prefer ruling over a much smaller group of people, it is not as stressful."

Clarke snorts. "Even ruling over a small group can be stressful."

"Yes, I suppose that is true," he says with a small smile. "Since it is a few days ride we are going to stay here for the night and then we will head back out in the morning. Heda has allowed us a few rooms to use."

"That was nice of her."

Bellamy nods. "Yes, it was. You and Octavia will share a room and I will share with Murphy. Will that be alright?"

"Um, yeah, that's fine."

His brows furrow together tightly. "What is it?"

She shakes her head. "It's nothing. Really. Don't worry about it."

"Clarke," he says softly, dipping his head just enough to look at her. "Did you think we would be sharing a room?"

She shrugs, waving him off. "It's nothing. It's fine. I just...I like being close to you."

He smiles, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I like being close to you as well. But the first time we share a bed, the first time we fall asleep in each other's arms, I want it to be just as special as you are."

Clarke swallows, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Um...okay," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "That sounds perfect."

.

.

.

By the time they get back to the village, it's not hard to see that all the delinquents have already started settling in. And the excitement is only elevated once they find out they're all allowed to stay. Many of them begin finding permanent roles within the community that are right for them. Most of the older kids start training under Lincoln and Octavia to be warriors of sorts, while others begin learning how to hunt in the woods and prepare what they catch. Everyone else learns more calming tasks or activities that help benefit everyone in the village and not just themselves. But either way, there's a place for each one of them. They all also start learning Trigedasleng as well, so that they're able to communicate better with those who know very little to no English.

Raven and Monty immediately start working on a plan to develop more radios to allow them to communicate easier with each of the other eleven clans—though there's a chance that the Azgeda clan won't take one—so they no longer have to take long horse rides and wait days for responses to simple questions. Clarke's not entirely sure where they manage to get all the equipment they need, or how many radios they're even going to be able to make, but as long as they're working on it, she's fine.

Clarke herself spends a little time here and there with the village's healer, learning about the methods they use on the ground. She also teaches them some of the things she learned on the Ark during her apprenticeship.

Living with these people now, it has many, many upsides. But the one that Clarke appreciates the most is that the young people aren't seen as expendable. At least from what she's seen so far, they aren't.

That first night that they're back, after telling everyone that they're allowed to stay, Bellamy announces that they're going to have a celebratory feast. A feast to truly welcome the new members of the village. There's a big bonfire and everyone is dancing and having fun and being as free as they should have always been able to be. They're kids, they shouldn't have had to fight for their survival as soon as they landed on earth. But now they don't have to fight anymore, they can just relax and be part of a community, a community that seems to actually want them around.

"Are you not going to go dance with your friends?"

Clarke smiles as Bellamy approaches, shifting a little on her feet and adjusting the hold she has on her cup. "I'm not much of a dancer. I mean, sure, I'll dance when no one's looking to whatever random melody is in my head, but dancing in front of a group of people...I don't know."

Bellamy smiles softly at her and holds out a hand. "Would it be better if you were dancing with me? Then you would not be alone."

Clarke takes a slow sip from her drink, smiling at Bellamy over the rim. "I mean...I guess it wouldn't be so bad."

He raises a brow. "So I will take that as a yes?"

Setting her cup down, Clarke rises on her toes to press a quick kiss to Bellamy's cheek. "Yes." She doesn't give him time to say much more, grabbing his hand and dragging him over to where everyone else is dancing around the fire. She allows him to pull her close and they begin moving to the music that's being performed by various members of the village sitting nearby.

A genuine laugh soon bubbles up from inside her chest and she lets it out, falling against Bellamy with the widest smile she can ever remember having. Their arms are wrapped around each other as they sway to the beat, joking around with the other people who are nearby.

"Someone looks cozy over here," Raven quips with a smile as she dances up to them, a cup of some type of drink in her hand. "I get the whole being Soulmates or whatever which is pretty dope considering no one on the Ark has ever had one, but have you ever thought about being with someone else? Just once?" She shoots Bellamy a playfully flirty look. "That was very clearly meant for you, cheekbones. You're not bad on the eyes."

Bellamy smiles. "I appreciate the offer. But even before I met her, my heart has only belonged to Clarke." He turns his smile on her and it softens into the one she always sees him using with her and no one else. "My heart felt as if it would rip right out of my chest at just the thought of being with someone else. It pained me to be with anyone but her, even when I did not know who she was."

Clarke swallows thickly, tears undoubtedly shining in her eyes. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Well damn," Raven grumbles. "Just go ruining romance for the rest of us, why don't you?"

Bellamy chuckles lightly. "I apologize, Raven. I never meant to—"

She waves him off. "I know. Don't worry about it. My ego is not that fragile. It's just a shame you're taken by fate."

Clarke's brows furrow slightly. "Everything okay with you and Finn?"

Raven shrugs. "Not sure, honestly. I love him, but things have been kinda weird since I got here. I thought we'd be forever, you know?" She lets out a heavy sigh. "Guess not everything is meant to last."

"Do not let it keep you down for too long," Bellamy advises. "Whenever you are ready, I know some great men who I am sure would love your company very much and treat you very well."

Raven quirks a brow. "Seriously?"

Bellamy nods. "Yes."

"Well, damn. I will certainly keep that in mind." She glances behind them toward another part of the village. "Oh, gotta go. Looks like someone needs my awesome brain for something." She tosses them a smile as she moves past, already calling out for someone off in the distance.

Clarke focuses back on Bellamy, a smile still playing at her lips as she wraps her arms around him again and tilts her head back to rest her chin on his chest. "Hi."

He smiles back at her, wrapping his arms snuggly around her waist to keep her close. "Hello. Are you enjoying yourself?"

She nods against him. "Mm-hmm. I didn't think I would ever have this much fun when coming to the ground. At least not this soon. But I'm happy. Extremely happy. I'm really glad I'm here."

"I am happy to hear that. I am glad you are here as well, Clarke. I truly do not know how much longer I could have gone without knowing you."

"Well, then it's a good thing I came down here when I did, even if it was entirely out of my control. Because we found each other and we're happier than we've ever been."

"Indeed." He lifts a hand to brush some of her hair back out of her face, tucking it behind her ear and then caressing her cheek. "I have known happiness many times throughout my life, but I have never known happiness as I do whenever I am with you, or just thinking about you. You are incredible, Clarke Griffin, and I am beyond glad that you are my Soulmate."

The look on his face, the way he's holding her, combined with the words he just said, it's enough to set Clarke's entire body on fire. In the absolute best way possible.

Before she can do anything about it, though, Jasper and Monty come dancing up, seeming a little tipsy and effectively ruining the moment.

She lets out a heavy breath, leaning against Bellamy as they continue to sway. Now that they're staying, that they'll be shaping their lives here, they'll have plenty of time for _that_ later.

.

.

.

Nearly three weeks later their lives get completely turned upside down again.

They aren't expecting it, most of them have largely forgotten about the Ark and all the people still left up there. They've all been busy settling into their new lives on the ground as members of Trikru and establishing radio communications with the other clans—one of many tasks. The goal is to eventually supply each village with a radio, but for now, they've given one to each clan leader. Azgeda was the most resistant to technology, and it took quite a lot of convincing for them to accept one. No surprise that they hardly use it.

In the three weeks since they began staying with Bellamy in his village they've really been thriving. Everyone has found the perfect place where they fit within the village. A few have even taken to start living in nearby villages after befriending other teens who live in those villages. That's a much more recent development, though, and it's only a small handful who have moved.

Relationships have started blooming too, now that there's no imminent threat of danger surrounding them. Mostly it's just a lot of friendships, delinquent teens bonding with Grounder teens over similar interests—though she supposes they're all technically considered Grounders now—and new hobbies being taught. A few romances are starting to pop up, though, and it makes her smile. Every time she catches Monty trying his best to flirt with Harper it makes her heart skip a little beat because it's another piece of proof that they're all happy and finally living.

It's just about dinner time in their village when it happens, everyone is slowly starting to gather together around the long table that permanently sits near the center of the village. The food is being set out in the various dishes, and everyone is pitching in just like always.

And then that's when they all hear it; a loud explosion in the sky. Everyone's attention immediately shoots up to see what caused the noise.

Clarke lets out a quiet gasp. "The Ark." She turns, her eyes immediately scanning the space for her Soulmate. She finds him across the village talking with some of the children, making them laugh, and it makes her heart beat a little faster. She shakes the feeling off and moves quickly toward him.

" _Klark_!" one of the children shouts excitedly as she gets closer to them.

She smiles, accepting the hug from the young child. " _Heya_ ," she says, taking any opportunity she can to practice her trig, even if her pronunciation is still a bit shaky. " _Na ai chich op Belomi solou?_ "

The kids all nod and then run off giggling.

She turns toward her soulmate and takes a deep breath. "The rest of our people are coming down," she tells him. "I don't know where they're going to land, or how many are going to survive, but they're coming down. Fast."

Bellamy nods. "If they land in other territories, there is not much I can do. If they land in Trikru territory, I may be able to persuade others not to attack or harm them."

"Anything you can do will be a big help. Do you think we could get the word out to the other clans? To let them know what's happening?"

Bellamy's face screws up in the adorable way it does whenever he's thinking. "It is possible. We have not had a chance to truly test out the radios yet."

"Now is as good a time as any, right?"

"Most clans may cooperate," Bellamy tells her, but she already knows that. "Azgeda most likely will not." Another thing she already knew.

"Eleven out of twelve's not bad," she tries to lighten the moment. "Could you contact them before it gets too much later, please? I'll start the dinner speech and fix you a plate."

He smiles softly at her, the smile that's only meant for her and still manages to take her breath away whenever she sees it. "Okay. I will try to convince as many as I can. I will be done as soon as I am able." He leans down to kiss her cheek and then makes his way into their shared cabin—separate rooms though.

Clarke makes her way back toward the communal table, preparing herself for the dinner speech. Bellamy usually does it, seeing as he's the one actually in charge around the village. But despite how little time they've spent around these people, most of them have taken a shining to Clarke, and have begun looking to her for direction on occasion. It was daunting at first, but now she doesn't mind it so much. She thinks most of it has to do with the rest of the delinquents still coming to her for various issues, and the other Grounders have slowly started to do the same on occasion.

They also pay extra attention to her safety— though that's mostly Lincoln and Octavia's area of focus—so that nothing too terrible ever happens to her. It hasn't been explicitly said, but she has a feeling it's because Bellamy wouldn't take it very well. She can't say she blames him, because she knows she'd be a mess if anything were to happen to Bellamy.

.

.

.

They send out multiple search parties as soon as all the broken off pieces of the Ark have landed. A few of the other clans radio them almost immediately, letting them know that they're sending out some of their own people to check on the sky people who landed in their territory. Clarke can't help but feel relieved. Even though the ones in charge sent her down to die, she doesn't want them to experience the same things she and the delinquents did when they landed. She wants them to be able to experience life on earth, to feel the sun on their faces and the water against their skin and everything in between.

"Clarke."

Turning around as she's getting ready to leave, Clarke smiles softly at Bellamy, watching as he walks toward her. "Hi. We're just about ready to head out."

Bellamy nods. "Lincoln is going as well and I have instructed him not to leave your side."

She sighs heavily but knows she won't be able to change his mind. "Bellamy…"

He shakes his head, stepping closer and resting his hands on her shoulders. "I care very deeply about you, Clarke. I know most other clan members will not harm you, but I do not doubt that some might simply because you came from the sky. Lincoln will protect you if you come across any others."

She smiles up at him, gently caressing his cheek in one hand. "That's very sweet of you. Raven's lending us her radio, so you can get in touch whenever you need to if that'll help ease your mind too."

He lets out a breath and nods. "It will."

"How is that I know you so well already?"

He smiles softly. "Must be that Soulmate bond everyone speaks of."

"Must be." She rises on her toes just enough to kiss his cheek quickly. "I'll be back soon. Try not to get too mopey while I'm gone."

He huffs. "I do not mope."

Murphy walks by at that exact moment, laughing and clapping Bellamy on the shoulder. "Dude, you totally mope." He looks at Clarke. "You ready?"

She nods. "Yeah. Is everyone else ready?"

"Just waiting on you, Your Highness."

She takes a deep breath. "Then let's go. We've got people to save."

They hike for a while through the trees to get to the right clearing. Clarke swallows down the fear that very few survived the crash landing. She can't dwell on that right now, she needs to focus on the possibility that everyone actually survived. She knows that not everyone from the Ark made it, but she's hopeful that more made it than didn't.

The radio on her hip crackles to life, Bellamy's voice coming through, making her smile. She listens as he checks in on the progress of the search parties—at least that's what she thinks is happening since her Trig is still a little shaky—and then as members of other villages chime in with their answers. The conversations are all quick and to the point, and she's able to pick out some of what is being said. It's going to be a great day when she's able to fully understand the language like she's always spoken it.

"Clarke?"

She brings the radio to her lips. "We should be getting there soon. We haven't come across anyone in the woods yet, so it's most likely they're staying near the station while they get their bearings. Knowing them, they'll start trying to establish a camp if we don't get to them soon."

"Hopefully you reach them in time."

"Yeah, hopefully."

She clips the radio back to the loop attached to her pants and then focuses back on the task at hand, casting a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure everyone is still present. The last thing she needs is to lose track of someone from the village while trying to rescue people from the Ark.

Eventually, they get closer to the edge of the wooded area, and Clarke motions for everyone to spread out and be prepared. She instructs them to be cautious and not approach too quickly, not wanting any problems to arise when there isn't a need for it. She has Murphy and a couple of the other delinquents move out of the trees first, with the others right behind them as a precaution.

Clarke moves along with them, chuckling quietly to herself when Lincoln doesn't move far from her side as he scouts the area around them. Bellamy wasn't kidding when he said that he instructed Lincoln to stay near her.

Loud shouting has her on high alert and she moves quickly through the rest of the forest ahead of her. She throws her arms up as soon as she breaks through the treeline, her eyes darting around and taking in the haggard faces of everyone that came down in what she thinks is Mecha Station.

"You're safe," she announces to the group, raising her voice enough so that they can all hear her. "We're not going to hurt you. These people are our friends," she says, gesturing to the members of her village. "Please, calm down. I promise that you'll be safe down here if you come with us. If you brought anything with you, gather whatever you're able to carry and then wait near the treeline and we'll walk you back to our village." She turns to Lincoln and rests a hand on his arm. "I know Bellamy instructed you to not leave my side, but I need you to help keep everyone from wandering into the woods before we're ready to head back."

Lincoln's quiet and she can see the internal battle happening inside his head; which of his leaders to listen to.

She smiles. "I won't tell Bellamy if you won't."

He simply nods his head and then moves off back toward the treeline, conferring with Murphy and a few others.

"Clarke?"

Turning around quickly, a sharp gasp cuts through her, and tears immediately spring to her eyes. "Mom?"

"Clarke!" Her mom rushes forward, pulling her into a tight hug. "Oh, thank goodness you're still alive." She pulls back and cups Clarke's face in her hands, her eyes roaming every inch of Clarke's skin, no doubt checking for injuries. "How are you? Are you hurt? Did you ever make it to Mount Weather?"

"One question at a time, mom, please."

Abby sighs heavily. "Sorry. I've been so worried that you wouldn't still be alive when I finally made it down."

Clarke smiles softly. "Well, I'm fine. We're managing."

"How many of you survived the landing?"

"Ninety-eight. Two died on impact. We lost a couple more in the days after. Then we gained Raven when she came down in the pod. She said you sent her down."

Abby nods, swallowing. "It was supposed to be the both of us, but I sent her down when the others were closing in on what we were doing."

"Well, you made the right choice. Raven's been a big help to all of us since she got here. How are you, though? Are you doing okay from the landing? It looked pretty rough from what we saw."

"It was. But I'll be okay. Are you really okay, though?"

Clarke rolls her eyes, despite understanding her mom's concern. "Yes, mom. I'm fine. I promise. And I know you said you're okay, but as soon as we get back we'll have you and everyone else checked over. Just to be on the safe side."

" _Klark._ "

Turning around, she sees Lincoln approaching her, his hand hovering near his sword in case he needs to use it quickly. He probably won't have to, but it never hurts to be ready.

" _Oso ogud_."

She nods. " _Os_. _Taim na bants_."

Lincoln nods sharply and then his eyes dart past her and lock onto Abby.

" _Linkon, dison laik ai nomon_ , _Abi_. Mom, this is Lincoln."

Her mom opens and closes her mouth, but no sound comes out, and Clarke can practically see the gears turning in her head.

Clarke just takes a deep breath and smiles. "Okay. Let's go get you all settled into your new home."

The journey back is slow going, given most of the Arkers are unsure of the terrain and taking in everything around them. She can't say she blames them, seeing as she did almost the exact same thing when she first arrived. Of course, her own excitement had to be put on the back burner for a short time so she could keep all of her people safe. But she was able to find that wonder again once she met Bellamy and was given a home in his village.

There's crackling at her hip and then a familiar voice comes through the radio.

"Come in, Your Royal Highness. Are you there?"

Clarke rolls her eyes at the nickname that has unfortunately caught on with just about everyone at this point, but grabs the radio anyway and brings it to her lips. "This is Clarke. What have you got for me, Raven?"

"Some of our scouts who were already near Azgeda just got back. The people who landed there are relatively fine, but Azgeda doesn't seem to be wanting to let them go anytime soon."

Clarke sighs heavily. "I figured as much. When I get back we'll see what we can do to get them out of there and somewhere safer."

"Copy that." There's a brief moment of silence where Clarke thinks the conversation is over. But then Raven's voice comes through again, "He's moping, by the way. I took the radio from him and now he's moping."

Clarke laughs quietly, praying that someday Raven figures out how to get multiple channels on the radios so that not everyone will always hear every conversation that happens. "Of course he is. Tell him we're on our way back, we're about halfway. Ask him if he can hold on for a little bit longer."

Raven laughs. "I already know what the answer's going to be, but I'll ask him anyway if that's what you want."

"Thanks, Raven. We'll see you soon."

"See you soon, Clarke."

Sliding the radio back onto her hip, Clarke focuses back on the path ahead of her. She knows the layout of the woods pretty well at this point, but it never hurts to be aware of her surroundings, just in case there's a random obstacle that wasn't there the last time.

Feeling eyes on her, she glances over at her mom. "What?"

Abby shakes her head. "Nothing. I'm just still trying to wrap my head around all of this."

Clarke snorts. "I know what you mean. In more ways than one."

Abby's brows furrow tightly.

"You'll see when we get there," Clarke tells her. "Just...try not to freak out, okay? Keep an open mind."

"Alright."

The rest of the trip is relatively quiet. She knows her mom has more questions, can feel the antsy energy radiating off of her. But there are more important things right now. Like making sure everyone gets to the village safely so they can start figuring out more permanent arrangements.

It's going to take some time, she knows that, but it has to be done.

Once they reach the edge of the village, Lincoln stops the group, and Murphy informs them all to stay put for the moment as he disappears inside. Clarke can see on some of the adults' faces that they don't like being bossed around by one of the delinquents they sent down to the earth to die.

Movement out of the corner of her eye pulls her attention and she turns to see Murphy standing in the entryway to the village. His arms are crossed over his chest as he leans against one of the fence poles.

Clarke looks at him and raises a brow. "Well?"

"He said they're all to be executed. Right here and now."

Clarke narrows her eyes at him. "He did not."

Murphy huffs, pushing off the wall. "You never let me have any fun."

"Oh, I think you'll be fine." She turns to address the group. "Everyone, please follow Murphy inside, he and a few others will show you where you can put your belongings and help you find a place to stay for the time being while we figure out permanent accommodations for you."

The group hesitates and then starts moving forward slowly toward the entrance. It's mostly the adults who are clutching their belongings close to their bodies, their eyes darting from side to side, probably keeping an eye out for any dangers.

Clarke waits until everyone is inside and then follows Lincoln into the village, her eyes immediately searching for Bellamy among the crowd, using their String as a sort of compass, like she had done back on the Ark when she first discovered her String. She completely ignores her mom's attempt at talking to her, her mind only on one thing.

"Clarke."

She's in his arms in an instant, holding him tight and breathing him in. It grounds her, eases the pain that's always in her chest whenever she's away from him. It's been less than a month since they met, but the feelings she has for him are so strong. Way stronger than anything she's ever felt for anyone else before. She relishes in the feeling, lives for the moments where she gets to be with him.

"How was it?" he asks her, his arms still wrapped securely around her.

She buries her face a little more in his chest. "Fine. It seems like everyone survived the landing from Mecha Station so we brought them all back here."

"That is good. We have set up as many accommodations here as we could. And we have arrangements at some of the nearby villages as well, they are willing to help the rest of your people get familiar with being on the ground. Once they decide if they want to remain here and live how we do, more permanent arrangements will be made."

Clarke nods against him. "Okay. Any update on the Arkers who landed in Azgeda territory?"

"Octavia is on her way to handle it."

Clarke snorts. "What I wouldn't give to see that confrontation."

A throat clearing loudly draws Clarke's attention but she only turns in Bellamy's arms, keeping a secure hold on him. Whenever she's away from him, as soon as she gets back into his arms she never wants to let go.

Her spine stiffens ever so slightly when she sees her mom standing there watching them with narrowed brows. But it's quickly soothed by Bellamy running a hand up and down her back. She relaxes against his touch instantaneously, turning more to face her mom but keeping an arm around Bellamy.

"Bellamy, this is my mom Abby. Mom, this is Bellamy, my Soulmate."

Abby's eyes go wide. "Soulmate? Clarke, what are you talking about? You can't have known this boy for...for more than a month. He's not your Soulmate. No one on the Ark has ever had a Soulmate. It was just some old tall tale meant to entertain the children. Soulmates don't exist."

Quiet gasps come from the villagers around them, all of them stopping what they're doing to stare. Their eyes are all focused on Abby, some narrowing while others give her dirty looks.

" _Noumou_ ," Bellamy calls out to the crowd, causing them to all return to what they were doing before. He looks pointedly at Abby. "I suggest you be careful with what you say about Soulmates."

"Soulmates are sacred here," Clarke informs her mom. "Everyone holds Soulmates in the highest regard, and it's not something they just talk about in everyday conversation."

Abby glances between them. "How...I didn't even know you had a Soulmate String, Clarke."

She sighs heavily. "That's because I didn't tell anyone. Not even Wells. The first time I saw it, it was pulling down toward the earth. I thought it was just a fluke, so I never said anything. But then I met Bellamy, and I saw my String extended out of his chest." She smiles up at Bellamy. "He's my everything. My Soulmate."

"I care very deeply for your daughter, ma'am. I will protect her with my life, as will the rest of my people. You do not have to worry or fear."

Abby's eyes narrow again. "I'm her mother. I'm always going to worry."

Bellamy nods once. "I understand. I meant no disrespect."

"Mom, please," Clarke says, taking a small step forward. "Bellamy is my Soulmate and nothing you say or do is going to change that. Now, you're more than welcome to stay here, but please do not try to downplay what Bellamy and I have together. It's special and rare, and so beautiful." She reaches out to grab one of her mom's hands and squeeze it tightly. "I love you, mom, and I'm really glad that you're here, but things work a lot different down here than they did on the Ark." She tries to be as gentle as she possibly can with her words. "You and all the others are going to have to get used to that. You're not in charge anymore. I'll let you settle in, and I'll see you later for dinner. Bellamy and I have to go take care of a few things before then."

With one more smile tossed in her mother's direction, Clarke turns and makes her way across the village with Bellamy right by her side. She stands as close to him as she can get, finding comfort in the arm that he wraps around her.

"Your mother does not seem to like me."

Clarke smiles softly up at him, cupping his chin in one hand. "She'll come around. One day she'll see how amazing you are, and how good you are to me and she'll learn to love you. I know it."

.

.

.

If she's being completely honest, she forgot about her birthday.

It wasn't the most important thing in the world when she was trying to keep everyone alive and then subsequently learning how to live in this new world she'd suddenly been thrust into.

So she's beyond surprised when she wakes up and finds a celebration happening at the long table outside, everyone pulling her closer once she joins them. They each offer their congratulations on reaching another year in life, some of the younger kids of the village gifting her with small trinkets that they either found or made. She promises to cherish every single one of them because she will. This is her first birthday on the ground and she's spending it in the best way possible. Definitely much better than she had originally thought she'd be spending it.

"This is all because of me?" she asks Bellamy when she catches sight of the large breakfast feast covering the table.

He nods with a smile, one hand landing gently on her back. "Yes."

"Do you always go this big with birthdays?"

"No." He takes a deep breath and turns them both so they're facing each other. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close, and then gently lifts her arms to wrap around his neck. "But seeing as you are my Soulmate, you are quite an important person here. This has been in the planning stage for a while, everyone wanted to show you how much they appreciate and adore you."

She smiles, clasping her hands together behind his neck. "And what about you? Do you appreciate and adore me?"

He smiles and nods. "I believe I do. And now, if you do not mind, I would like to gift you something for your birthday."

"Bellamy, you don't have to do that. Just being here with you is enough."

"I know. I only thought it fitting that our first kiss would be on your birthday."

She nods slowly, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering around rapidly. "I see. That would be nice. But I don't think I want our first kiss to be in front of everyone. Maybe later when we're alone?"

"Of course. Whatever you wish." He leans down to press a lingering kiss to her cheek instead.

Clarke smiles at the familiar feeling, imagining what it'll be like to actually kiss him once they're alone and she can savor the moment. Her heart is beating faster at just the thought of it. She desperately wants to kiss him, but she doesn't need the rest of the people around them to witness it and for her friends to start cat-calling and wolf-whistling. She doesn't need an audience for her and Bellamy's first kiss.

"Sorry to interrupt, but is there any chance I can give my best friend a hug for her birthday?"

Clarke pulls away from Bellamy and turns to Wells with a wide grin. She immediately throws herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

He hugs her back just as tightly. "Happy birthday, Clarke."

"Thank you." She pulls back just enough to look at him. "I'm so glad you're here. I know I wasn't happy at first, but we're good now, right?"

He smiles and nods. "Of course, we are. You're my best friend, Clarke. I just want you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted."

"And I am. I am so happy down here. I didn't think that would actually be possible."

He chuckles. "Neither did I. We've got it pretty good down here, don't we?"

"We really do. How long do you think most of the adults from the Ark are going to last?"

Wells laughs. "Hard to say. It could really go either—"

"Clarke!"

She turns at the shout of her name to see a good portion of the delinquents rushing toward her, smiles on all their faces. Some of them are holding what she's assuming to be gifts of some kind, but she doesn't want to bring it up in case she's wrong.

"Hey, guys," she says with a smile.

"I tried to hold them back," Murphy speaks up loud enough for her to him from the back of the group. "Told them to give you and Bellamy some time. But they wouldn't listen."

"We wanted to wish her a 'happy birthday'," Jasper responds, a giddy smile on his face and a slight bounce to his feet. "You're pretty awesome, Clarke. You kept as many of us alive as you could our first days down here."

Murphy scoffs. "Yeah, _only_ Clarke did that."

Clarke shoots him a look and then turns back to Jasper and the rest of the kids. "You guys are so sweet. Thank you. This means a lot to me."

"We're planning a big dinner tonight too," Monty tells her. "We've gotten some pretty good stuff the last few hunts, and we've been saving as much as we're able to specifically for dinner tonight."

Jasper grins. "It's gonna be even more of a party than this morning."

"It won't be that crazy, though," Harper speaks up, stepping between the two boys with a smile. "I promise I'll keep them from getting too over-the-top with it. We'll probably just have a little extra than we normally do at dinner and maybe stay out here a little later too."

"If the cold doesn't get us first," Clarke remarks.

Harper laughs. "Yeah, there is that. I'll get these two out of your hair so you can get back to that," Harper says with a smile, gesturing with her head to Bellamy.

Clarke just laughs quietly. "Thanks." She watches as her friends walk away, Harper's hand easily sliding into Monty's which makes Clarke smile. The rest of the delinquents who had come over to talk to her slowly migrate to another area of the village, leaving just her and Bellamy alone again. The rest of the people in the village are lingering around, but aren't too close by, so thankfully she doesn't feel crowded.

Turning back to Bellamy, she wraps herself in his arms, smiling when he drops a kiss to the top of her head. She stays in his arms for a while, watching the people milling about around them, watching parents from the Ark reuniting with their children. Of course, not every parent is reuniting with a child for various reasons, but they'll deal with that later, once they know who else survived coming down in other pieces of the Ark.

For now, she's just going to enjoy her birthday with the people she loves and cares about.

Unfortunately, the celebrating on her end is cut short when various members of the adult population from the Ark start demanding different things from them. She's not surprised, honestly. She knew it'd be easier for the younger residents from the Ark to start assimilating into the Grounder lifestyle. They're still young and their minds are relatively free from too many damaging thoughts unlike most of the adults. They're able to adapt quickly and are starting to make new friends and learning to speak Trig and how to live on the ground.

The adults from the Ark—mainly the ones who had held some kind of position of power—are so stuck in the old ways that they have a difficult time adjusting to not having as much technology as they were once used to. Or not being the ones in control of things. Or just a whole mess of things that Clarke honestly finds hilarious. Though she's very grateful that her mother isn't among them.

Some of the adults, the ones who are most reluctant to live in such an "uncivilized way" decide very quickly that they're going to venture off to find a place of their own to settle down. Clarke doesn't give it long before they either come crawling back begging to stay or die on the journey from not knowing how to live down here.

And it's only been a day since they got everyone out of the wreckage from the crash. She's surprised they lasted even that long. She wishes they had waited until the day after her birthday to start complaining, but Bellamy promises her that they'll get back to celebrating her as soon as possible.

They handle the situation as best they can, already having a multitude of other problems to deal with, like their people still in Azgeda territory, and finding places for everyone to live who is willing to stay and abide by their ways and customs. They try to placate everyone's concerns, but the Arkers don't make it easy, consistently demanding answers to questions that can honestly wait until a later time.

But thankfully it doesn't take long for the situation to be handled, which is mainly just Bellamy raising his voice and assuring them that their concerns will be handled tomorrow, allowing him time to think on their questions and be able to give them solid answers. She knows he's only saying it because he doesn't actually want to deal with them today. She can't say she blames him.

They spend the rest of the day continuing with Clarke's birthday celebration, though it mostly consists of the entire village having a relaxing day. There are still some tasks and chores being done around the village to keep things running smoothly, but for the most part, everyone just relaxes.

She gets a few more gifts from various villagers, as well as her friends. A few of the other villages in Trikru radio in and offer their own words of celebration for her birthday, though she knows from Bellamy's explanation that birthdays aren't the biggest deal down here on the ground. Considering all the warring she's been told used to happen, birthday celebrations were typically pushed to the far recesses of people's minds. But maybe they can start to make a comeback now.

Once the day starts to come to a close and the celebrating with everyone in the village is done, Clarke and Bellamy decide to turn in for the night. They say goodnight to all of their friends, hugs being exchanged between all of them, and then Bellamy takes her hand and leads her to their cabin. It's not huge, but it's got a couple of bedrooms, a main living area, what passes for a bathroom, as well as a small kitchenette and table to have their morning and afternoon meals. It has the most basic of furnishings, and it's absolutely perfect for both of them.

A yawn escapes past Clarke's lips as soon as they step foot inside the cabin, the door closing securely behind them. She laughs. "Sorry. Didn't realize I was this tired. The last couple of days have been...eventful, to say the least."

Bellamy nods. "Indeed they have. I am glad most of your people are doing well here."

"Me too. I was worried, naturally. I was hoping the adults would come around to the idea of living here since it's all they've wanted, but considering they weren't expecting anyone else to still be here, I understand why they're hesitant."

"Do you think those opposed will come to understand and accept how we live here? And be willing to abide by that?"

Clarke shrugs, leaning back against the table that sits right inside the front door. "I honestly don't know. But I don't want to think about that right now. That can be a problem for tomorrow."

Bellamy smiles, stepping closer until he's standing directly in front of her. "Of course." He rests his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing against the fabric of her shirt. "What would you like to do?"

Another yawn escapes past her lips. She laughs again. "Go to bed, apparently."

Bellamy chuckles. "Go get yourself ready, then."

She leans up to kiss his cheek and then reluctantly steps away from him to go about her nightly routine. It didn't take long for her to develop a nightly routine once everyone moved into the village and she no longer had to stay up late worrying about their safety. Her routine differs quite a bit from the one she had on the Ark, but she finds herself not minding it that much.

Once she's ready for bed, she meets Bellamy in the main hallway outside their rooms to say goodnight. It's probably her favorite part of her nightly routine, hugging Bellamy one last time before retiring to her bedroom.

Without saying a word, she steps into his embrace and wraps her arms around him tightly. She buries her face in his chest, breathing deeply and letting herself relax in his arms. It's now one of her favorite places to be, always feeling extra safe whenever he holds her. She'd always felt relatively safe on the Ark, but she now knows that she's never known true peace and safety until she met Bellamy.

Reluctantly leaning back, she smiles up at him. "I should go to bed."

He smiles back. "As should I. But first, if you are still wanting it, I was hoping to give you your gift now."

Her brows furrow together slightly for only a moment. And then her smile is widening and her heart is beating a little faster. "Okay."

Bellamy's own smile widens and he reaches up to caress her cheek in one hand, the roughness of his thumb rubbing against her skin. He leans down a little closer, shifting on his feet. "I care very deeply about you, Clarke Griffin," he whispers. "You are my everything."

She smiles, leaning into his hand. "You're my everything too. I'm so glad you're my Soulmate."

"As am I."

He closes the space between them, his lips connecting gently with hers, igniting a spark throughout her entire body. It's soft and chaste, but it's incredible at the same time. She didn't think a simple kiss could feel this amazing. But it does. And it's a feeling she wants to experience over and over again. But only with Bellamy.

She just barely chases after his lips when he pulls away. He's standing right in front of her and she already finds herself craving him, craving the feel of his lips against hers.

"Well, despite a few hiccups, I'd say this has been a pretty damn good birthday. I don't know if anything could top that kiss as an ending to my birthday."

He smiles. "I am glad to hear you enjoyed yourself. Though, it does make me think you do not want to see the final gift I have for you."

Her mouth pulls into a grin. "No, I want to see it."

"Alright. Come with me." He grabs her hand, lacing their fingers together, and then pulls her along beside him in the direction of his room. She stays silent through the short walk, only slightly confused as to why her present would be in his bedroom.

Stopping when he does, Clarke watches as Bellamy fiddles with the wooden handle of the door to his room. His hand stays tucked in hers as he looks down at the floor.

He looks up at her after a moment and clears his throat, giving her a soft smile. "First, I want you to know how happy you make me. And I am glad to have been able to spend this day celebrating you. You are one to be celebrated as often as it is allowed."

She feels heat rushing to her cheeks but she keeps her eyes locked on his. "You're pretty great too."

He just smiles and twists the knob of the door. "Here is your final gift." He pushes the door open and then stands aside.

Clarke steps past him into his room, a room she's only been inside a few times during the daytime, and immediately starts scanning the space for anything resembling a present. But she comes up empty.

Letting out a small sigh, she spins to face Bellamy and gives him a sheepish smile. "Okay. I give up. I can't find my present."

He smiles, stepping into the room. "Are you sure? Look a little harder." He crosses the floor and stops in front of his bed.

She does another sweep of his room and then lands back on him. He just continues to smile. She can feel her frustration starting to build and then the gears in her head start turning.

She locks eyes with Bellamy. "Wait. Your bed is bigger, isn't it? Why is your bed bigger? And how did it get here?"

"The bed is bigger because it is your present. I had it brought inside while we were taking part in the festivities." He takes a small step closer to her. "I hope I am not being too forward but I was hoping that tonight, and every night after this, you would want to share this bed with me."

She can't help the grin that breaks out on her face as she launches herself into Bellamy's arms. She hugs him tightly around the neck, burying her face in the crook there and pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"Yes," she whispers in his ear. "I would love nothing more."

Reluctantly pulling away from him, she quickly crosses the room to push the door closed and then joins him back at his— _their_ —new bed. She grabs his hand and tugs him around to one side, both of them standing near it.

"You haven't used this bed yet?" she questions.

He shakes his head, looking at her. "No. I wanted the first night I spent in this bed to be with you. My other bed was much too small for two people."

She smiles. "I agree. And this bed looks very comfortable."

"I am glad you think so. Which side of the bed would you prefer to sleep on? I have heard that some people have a preference."

"Well, I don't think I have a preference because I've never shared a bed with anyone before. So it's a new adventure for both of us." She steps closer to him and wraps her arms around his torso, tilting her chin back and resting it against his chest to look at him with a smile. "But I am very excited about every new adventure I'm going to take down here on the ground. As long as we've got each other, I know we can handle anything we come across."

He smiles back, snaking his arms around her and holding her close. "I have never known something to be more true. You have made my life full, Clarke Griffin. You are a wonder. And I thank the stars every night that they were kind enough to tie me to you for the rest of my days. There is no better feeling in the world than being your Soulmate."

Tilting her chin down, she hugs him tightly, resting her ear over his chest so she can hear the steady, comforting beat of his heart. She breathes deeply, letting herself relax in his arms, a familiar warmth spreading over her skin. "I know exactly what you mean."

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Hi. Can I talk to Bellamy alone?  
> We are ready.  
> Good. Let's go.  
> Lincoln, this is my mom, Abby.  
> Enough.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


End file.
